Google Plus: On Trust, Reputation, Pseudonyms, and Value

Wait wait wait... I add someone to my list because I know them. They use a pseudonym. I suddenly don't trust them any more?

No, most of my friends have pseudonyms that they use online on every freaking website. Even most gmail addresses are pseudonyms. Why would it suddenly be a problem if my friend Joe goes by 'ThunderLizard' instead? Hint: It isn't.

I can't imagine why Google has decided to do such a stupid thing, but it's not about users trusting each other.

If I had to guess, they're trying to prevent celebrity impersonations. It's bound to fail even more spectacularly than it already has.

Google can instantly solve this problem by providing users the ability to select different avatars/names for different circles.